A primary door seal is mounted to a vehicle door frame to form a seal to prevent the ingress of water when the vehicle door is closed. The door seal can also provide insulation from external noises and vibrations.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, it is known to use an adhesive tape T for mounting a primary seal S to a door panel PD. When the vehicle door is closed, the primary seal S cooperates with a body panel PB. The accurate location of the primary seal S requires appropriate manufacturing facilities as the adhesive tape T cannot be re-positioned. Moreover, if the door seal is to be replaced, the adhesive tape T must be removed and the door panel PD cleaned to provide a suitable surface for bonding the replacement adhesive tape T.
An alternative technique is to use mechanical fasteners, such as clips, provided along the length of the seal. The mechanical fasteners typically retain the seal within a channel which is either formed in the door frame or attached to the door frame. Again, however, appropriate manufacturing facilities are required to secure the door seal in position. The attachment of a channel to the door frame can also necessitate a further manufacturing step.
At least in certain embodiments, the present invention sets out to overcome or ameliorate at least some of the above problems associated with the aforementioned prior art arrangements.